Sanjaya Rises for Victory

Verse 1 (5.136.1)

नैव राज्ञा दरः कार्यो जातु कस्यांचिदापदि । अथ चेदपि दीर्णः स्यान्नैव वर्तेत दीर्णवत् ॥

naiva rājñā daraḥ kāryo jātu kasyāṃcidāpadi | atha cedapi dīrṇaḥ syānnaiva varteta dīrṇavat

A king must never show fear, whatever calamity befalls him. Even if he is afraid, he should never behave like a man afraid.

Verse 2 (5.136.2)

दीर्णं हि दृष्ट्वा राजानं सर्वमेवानुदीर्यते । राष्ट्रं बलममात्याश्च पृथक्कुर्वन्ति ते मतीः ॥

dīrṇaṃ hi dṛṣṭvā rājānaṃ sarvamevānudīryate | rāṣṭraṃ balamamātyāśca pṛthakkurvanti te matīḥ

For when they see the king afraid, everything gives way after him; the realm, the army and the ministers each go their own way in counsel.

Verse 3 (5.136.3)

शत्रूनेके प्रपद्यन्ते प्रजहत्यपरे पुनः । अन्ये तु प्रजिहीर्षन्ति ये पुरस्ताद्विमानिताः ॥

śatrūneke prapadyante prajahatyapare punaḥ | anye tu prajihīrṣanti ye purastādvimānitāḥ

Some go over to the enemy, others desert him, and still others, who were slighted before, look for a chance to strike at him.

Note on the text: Corrected शत्रुनेके → शत्रूनेके (misprint in Wikisource; accusative plural शत्रून्, as in the critical edition's śatrūn eke).

Verse 4 (5.136.4)

य एवात्यन्तसुहृदस्त एनं पर्युपासते । अशक्तयः स्वस्तिकामा बद्धवत्सा इला इव ॥

ya evātyantasuhṛdasta enaṃ paryupāsate | aśaktayaḥ svastikāmā baddhavatsā ilā iva

Only his closest friends stay by him, powerless though they wish him well, like cows whose calves are tied up,

Note on the text: Corresponds to the first two lines (ab–cd) of 5.134.4, a three-line verse in the critical edition.

Verse 5 (5.136.5)

शोचन्तमनुशोचन्ति पतितानिव बान्धवान् । अपि ते पूजिताः पूर्वमपि ते सुहृदो मताः ॥

śocantamanuśocanti patitāniva bāndhavān | api te pūjitāḥ pūrvamapi te suhṛdo matāḥ

and they grieve with him in his grief, as one grieves for kinsmen who have fallen. Those whom you honoured before, those you counted as your friends,

Note on the text: Corresponds to 5.134.4ef + 5.134.5ab.

Verse 6 (5.136.6)

ये राष्ट्रमभिमन्यन्ते राज्ञो व्यसनमीयुषः । मा दीदरस्त्वं सुहृदो मा त्वां दीर्णं प्रहासिषुः ॥

ye rāṣṭramabhimanyante rājño vyasanamīyuṣaḥ | mā dīdarastvaṃ suhṛdo mā tvāṃ dīrṇaṃ prahāsiṣuḥ

who hold dear the kingdom of a king fallen into misfortune — do not frighten those friends, and let them not abandon you as a man gripped by fear.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the last two lines (cd–ef) of 5.134.5, a three-line verse in the critical edition.

Verse 7 (5.136.7)

प्रभावं पौरुषं बुद्धिं जिज्ञासन्त्या मया तव । विदधत्या समाश्वासमुक्तं तेजोविवृद्धये ॥

prabhāvaṃ pauruṣaṃ buddhiṃ jijñāsantyā mayā tava | vidadhatyā samāśvāsamuktaṃ tejovivṛddhaye

Wishing to test your power, your manliness and your understanding, and to give you comfort, I spoke as I did to make your spirit grow.

Verse 8 (5.136.8)

यदेतत्संविजानासि यदि सम्यग्ब्रवीम्यहम् । कृत्वा सौम्यमिवात्मानं जयायोत्तिष्ठ सञ्जय ॥

yadetatsaṃvijānāsi yadi samyagbravīmyaham | kṛtvā saumyamivātmānaṃ jayāyottiṣṭha sañjaya

If you understand this, if what I say is right, then compose yourself and rise for victory, Sanjaya.

Note on the text: Corrected जायायोत्तिष्ठ → जयायोत्तिष्ठ (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads jayāyottiṣṭha).

Verse 9 (5.136.9)

अस्ति नः कोशनिचयो महानविदितस्तव । तमहं वेद नान्यस्तमुपसंपादयामि ते ॥

asti naḥ kośanicayo mahānaviditastava | tamahaṃ veda nānyastamupasaṃpādayāmi te

We have a great store of treasure that you know nothing of. I know of it, and no one else; I will hand it over to you.

Verse 10 (5.136.10)

सन्ति नैकशता भूयः सुहृदस्तव सञ्जय । सुखदुःखसहा वीर संग्रामादनिवर्तिनः ॥

santi naikaśatā bhūyaḥ suhṛdastava sañjaya | sukhaduḥkhasahā vīra saṃgrāmādanivartinaḥ

And you have many hundreds of friends besides, Sanjaya, heroes who share joy and sorrow and never turn back from battle.

Verse 11 (5.136.11)

तादृशा हि सहाया वै पुरुषस्य बुभूषतः । इष्टं जिहीर्षतः किंचित्सचिवाः शत्रुकर्शन ॥

tādṛśā hi sahāyā vai puruṣasya bubhūṣataḥ | iṣṭaṃ jihīrṣataḥ kiṃcitsacivāḥ śatrukarśana

Such allies, such counsellors, are what a man needs who seeks to rise and wishes to win something he desires, O scourge of your foes.

Verse 12 (5.136.12)

तस्यास्त्वीदृशकं वाक्यं श्रुत्वापि स्वल्पचेतसः । तमस्त्वपागमत्तस्य सुचित्रार्थपदाक्षरम् ॥

tasyāstvīdṛśakaṃ vākyaṃ śrutvāpi svalpacetasaḥ | tamastvapāgamattasya sucitrārthapadākṣaram

When he heard these words of hers, so rich in meaning, phrase and sound, his darkness left him, small of spirit though he was.

Note on the text: Speaker: Wikisource prints this verse under the mother's heading, but in its wording it is third-person narration ("on hearing her words, his darkness departed"), so it is given to Kunti, who is telling the tale. The critical edition's 5.134.11 reads instead kasya tv īdṛśakaṃ vākyaṃ … tamo na vyapahanyeta, a question placed in the son's mouth.

Verse 13 (5.136.13)

उदके नौरियं धार्या वक्तव्यं प्रवणे मया । यस्य मे भवती नेत्री भविष्यद्भूतिदर्शिनी ॥

udake nauriyaṃ dhāryā vaktavyaṃ pravaṇe mayā | yasya me bhavatī netrī bhaviṣyadbhūtidarśinī

This boat must be held steady on the water, and on the downward slope I must declare my resolve — I who have you for my guide, who foresee the fortune to come.

Verse 14 (5.136.14)

अहं हि वचनं त्वत्तः शुश्रूषुरपरापरम् । किञ्चित्किञ्चित्प्रतिवदंस्तूष्णीमासं मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

ahaṃ hi vacanaṃ tvattaḥ śuśrūṣuraparāparam | kiñcitkiñcitprativadaṃstūṣṇīmāsaṃ muhurmuhuḥ

For I, longing to hear your words one after another, kept silent again and again, answering back only a little now and then.

Verse 15 (5.136.15)

अतृप्यन्नमृतस्येव कृच्छ्राल्लब्धस्य बान्धवात् । उद्यच्छाम्येष शत्रूणां नियमार्थं जयाय च ॥

atṛpyannamṛtasyeva kṛcchrāllabdhasya bāndhavāt | udyacchāmyeṣa śatrūṇāṃ niyamārthaṃ jayāya ca

Unsated, as with nectar won with difficulty from a kinsman, I now rise up to subdue my enemies and to win.

Note on the text: Corrected जायय → जयाय (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads jayāya).

Verse 16 (5.136.16)

सदश्व इव स क्षिप्तः प्रणुन्नो वाक्यसायकैः । तच्चकार तथा सर्वं यथावदनुशासनम् ॥

sadaśva iva sa kṣiptaḥ praṇunno vākyasāyakaiḥ | taccakāra tathā sarvaṃ yathāvadanuśāsanam

Like a fine horse lashed by the whip, driven on by the arrows of her words, he did everything just as she had instructed him.

Note on the text: Corrected सदश्च → सदश्व (misprint in Wikisource; 'a good horse', as in the critical edition's sadaśva).

Verse 17 (5.136.17)

इदमुद्धर्षणं भीमं तेजोवर्धनमुत्तमम् । राजानं श्रावयेन्मन्त्री सीदन्तं शत्रुपीडितम् ॥

idamuddharṣaṇaṃ bhīmaṃ tejovardhanamuttamam | rājānaṃ śrāvayenmantrī sīdantaṃ śatrupīḍitam

This stirring, formidable and excellent discourse, which kindles the spirit, should be recited by a minister to a king who is sinking under the pressure of his enemies.

Verse 18 (5.136.18)

जयो नामेतिहासोऽयं श्रोतव्यो विजिगीषुणा । महीं विजयते क्षिप्रं श्रुत्वा शत्रूंश्च मर्दति ॥

jayo nāmetihāso'yaṃ śrotavyo vijigīṣuṇā | mahīṃ vijayate kṣipraṃ śrutvā śatrūṃśca mardati

This history is called Jaya, and one who seeks victory should hear it. Having heard it, he swiftly conquers the earth and crushes his enemies.

Verse 19 (5.136.19)

इदं पुंसवनं चैव वीराजननमेव च । अभीक्ष्णं गर्भिणी श्रुत्वा ध्रुवं वीरं प्रजायते ॥

idaṃ puṃsavanaṃ caiva vīrājananameva ca | abhīkṣṇaṃ garbhiṇī śrutvā dhruvaṃ vīraṃ prajāyate

It brings the birth of sons, and the birth of heroes too. A pregnant woman who hears it again and again will surely give birth to a hero:

Verse 20 (5.136.20)

विद्याशूरं तपःशूरं दानशूरं तपस्विनम् । ब्राह्म्या श्रिया दीप्यमानं साधुवादे च संमतम् ॥

vidyāśūraṃ tapaḥśūraṃ dānaśūraṃ tapasvinam | brāhmyā śriyā dīpyamānaṃ sādhuvāde ca saṃmatam

a hero in learning, a hero in austerity, a hero in giving, an ascetic, shining with the splendour of a brahmin, esteemed where the good are praised,

Note on the text: Corrected ब्राह्मया → ब्राह्म्या (misprint in Wikisource; instrumental of ब्राह्मी, as in the critical edition's brāhmyā).

Verse 21 (5.136.21)

अर्चिष्मन्तं बलोपेतं महाभागं महारथम् । धृतिमन्तमनाधृष्यं जेतारमपराजितम् ॥

arciṣmantaṃ balopetaṃ mahābhāgaṃ mahāratham | dhṛtimantamanādhṛṣyaṃ jetāramaparājitam

radiant, full of strength, greatly blessed, a great chariot-warrior, steadfast, unassailable, a conqueror who is never conquered,

Verse 22 (5.136.22)

नियन्तारमसाधूनां गोप्तारं धर्मचारिणाम् । ईदृशं क्षत्रिया सूते वीरं सत्यपराक्रमम् ॥

niyantāramasādhūnāṃ goptāraṃ dharmacāriṇām | īdṛśaṃ kṣatriyā sūte vīraṃ satyaparākramam

a restrainer of the wicked and a protector of those who follow dharma — such a hero, true in valour, is the son a kshatriya woman bears.